As a personnel manager assigned to a shipyard, Allie felt a strong need to learn the theoretical and practical knowledge of ship design and construction. Since she had nothing to do after her duty hours and to also cover up her boredom and homesickness, she decided to take up an online course in Naval Architecture.
The fundamental online course would help her understand a ship design, construction, repair, modification, stability and operation of vessels and other floating structures within the marine environment.
The irony of it was the fact that this was supposedly Ajie's world only. It was beyond her wildest dream that one day she would be learning about this industry. It was his dream to build the most beautiful and the biggest ship in the country. And because of this, he accepted the offer to study in Japan.
The largest shipyard that Mr. Lopez owned was located in Japan and it was in this place that Ajie would expose himself. Numerous marine vessels were built in this construction site but what made him famous was his production of the most luxurious yachts in the world.
Mr. Lopez was hoping to apply in Ajie the law of attraction through this method. When one dreams about something, he or she must expose himself to things associated and relevant with the dream because as what Napoleon Hills said, what the mind can conceive and believe, the body can surely achieve.
The law of attraction says that you will attract into your life whatever you focus on. Whatever you give your energy and attention to will come back to you. So, if you stay focused on the good and positive things in your life, you will automatically attract more good and positive things into your life.
So, if Ajie stays earlier on the ship building site before he could even complete his theoretical degree, the chances for his success and the fulfillment of his dream were very high.
___
When the time difference reminded Allie that it was already midnight in Japan, she logged in to her Facebook and Messenger accounts which she had deactivated after Andrew sent her the video. She refused to be hurt further because the already mounting miseries she tried hard to bear, were already beyond her capacity to endure.
The moment she successfully logged in, notifications instantly turned into hundreds. Most of it from Ajie and few from Andrew. She smirked when she saw that Ajie changed his profile into their wedding photos and his cover was their first kiss as husband and wife. Looking at those photos which were portraits of love and happiness she thought she would forever enjoy, tears immediately slid down from her eyes. What if Cherry had not commited suicide, would he still come back to her?
Scanning through other messages, she tried hard to skip on Andrew's first message line in bold letters. Yet, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, the more it become tempting. Finally, she closed her eyes as she tapped a finger on his account name.
It was again a photo taken inside a bedroom. Lying on the bed was a half - covered woman and a man was hovering on top of her. She closed her eyes again and refused for a moment to accept that it was indeed Ajie and Cherry. Nudging the already festering wound inside her heart was the fact that Ajie was wearing his favorite shirt. She even recalled one moment where she let him change into a new one because she was already tired of seeing him in that same attire whenever they went out. That, perhaps, explained why he liked the shirt so much. Perhaps because it held a special memory of him and Cherry.
Some photos were just recently sent. Those were again poses of him and Dr. Jane in different areas of the shipyard and inside the yacht. Those may not be maliciously intimate ones but they looked so happy together.
___
Days passed by and Ajie wondered why Allie's social media accounts couldn't be searched anymore. The apps which they used in their visual conversation or video calling all told him that the "contact name is not
found". He called up her number and to his relief, it was answered. But he shranked back when he heard that it was not Allie on the other line but her mother.
"Ma, may I talk to Allie? " Ajie asked after their exchanges of greetings.
"I'm sorry, son but she's still not around. "
"Where did she say she is going? "
"I really don't know. "
"How long has she been away? "
"Around thirty minutes. "
"Ma, I'd been trying to call her up but all her accounts were deactivated. Please tell her to call me back. "
After the next two hours and the next hours that followed thereafter, Ajie called up again and again. He already felt that something was wrong and that they were hiding something.
Before he went to sleep, he tried to call again. Luckily, it was still picked up and to his relief, it was Allie.
"Jie, I'm sorry I left my phone. "
"You make me so worried! Why are your accounts deactivated? " His worried tone made her feel sick.
"For my security. Many of our relatives are tortured and killed after some fruitless interrogation. I cannot risk myself. " She answered coldly.
"Allie, I already want to see you and Chloe ! How long would I wait? "
Lies. With such a sweet and beautiful woman to warm his bed at night, why would he still want to see her?
"Until Mr. Louise Dioko will stop his pursuit on the spy. "
"I'll go home and take both of you here with me. "
So that he could fool her? To sneak up to Dr. Jane's bed when she would fall asleep just as he did with Cherry?
"Focus on your studies, instead. We will visit you once Chloe is ready to travel. "
They talked for more than few minutes before Allie's mom hung up the phone and Allie herself turned off her video cam. Never did she realize how good she can pretend and hold back the bitterest cry she had withheld until she could be alone. Until only the walls of her room could witness those bloody tears of loneliness and pain.